MOST PET adoption agencies have an adoption process that matches the organization’s goals for its animals. But beyond the process are the expectations we have for the people who will be adopting.

Times have changed, and so has pet ownership. With that in mind, what does it take these days to successfully integrate a dog into your home? Below are the expectations we have for folks who adopt a dog from one of our shelters. Most of these have been created to temper impulse decisions and reduce the chance of a dog being returned.

(To make sure cats receive equal time, our next column in two weeks will cover expectations for those who plan on adopting felines.)

1. We expect this adoption to be a lifetime commitment. It can be challenging to keep a dog through changes that occur in one’s life, but just like the challenges in raising a family, we expect an adopter to work it out. We expect you will keep your dog if you move, if you have children, if you get married or divorced, or if you redecorate. It might be hard, but it can be done.

2. We expect the whole household to meet the dog first. We don’t allow pets to be adopted as gifts, or for people who are not doing the choosing, even if mom, dad, or the roommates say it’s OK. Most pets get returned because one person in the household demands it. While we can’t prevent people from changing their mind, we can prevent dogs from being returned by people who never wanted the dog in the first place.

3. If you have another dog, we expect you to bring your dog to meet the new pet. “Why? My dog loves other dogs!” The answer is, because while George-Howard (a beautiful chow chow who was just adopted from Tri-Valley) loves many dogs, he doesn’t love them all. We want to make sure he likes the one he will be living with.

4. We expect that your dog will live indoors. Dogs are pack animals, and aren’t meant to be loners, pacing around outside. For domestic dogs, you and the rest of the household are his pack. Being outside all day is sure to frustrate any dog, over-eager for the tiniest bit of attention. Dogs who live outside learn that the fence line must be protected, usually by barking. They get bored and plot various ways to escape.

Elvis and Priscilla, a pair of beautiful Walker-hound siblings at our Tri-Valley facility, spent most of their first three years of life in a back yard with little attention. Good temperaments and training will ensure that they become great indoor pets. They are still learning what it means to be inside dogs, and the benefits of not running off to explore at every opportunity.

5. We expect adopters will practice safe confinement, especially in the beginning, such as crate training and tether training to instill proper behaviors and potty train. For people who had dogs a long time ago, this might sound unusual or even cruel. But confinement training is all the rage and all good dog owners are doing it.

6. We expect you will be a responsible pet owner. This means following local leash laws, and picking up your dog’s droppings. This means getting your dog licensed and keeping him up-to-date on shots. It also means if your dog has a medical problem, you visit the veterinarian, instead of dropping him off at the shelter because he’s broken. Spencer, a Rottie-mix puppy in our Oakland facility, was abandoned with a condition called “strangles.” But it’s easily and inexpensively treated, and some lucky family is going to get a terrific pup now that he is fixed up.

7. We expect you to understand that puppies grow. A puppy from a shelter usually has unknown parentage so there is no way to tell ahead of time how big your puppy will become. So your little fluff-ball became a Marmaduke look-alike? Buy a bigger bed and enjoy the gasps from strangers. A puppy like Duckling in our Tri-Valley shelter is very easy to find a home for, but if he becomes a large, homeless, adolescent dog, he could have a tough time. If you aren’t willing to have a larger-than-expected dog, consider an adult dog so you don’t get surprised. Or perhaps a stuffed animal.

8. We expect you to train your dog. Those perfect dogs that other people have weren’t born that way. We expect that you will take the time (and the money) to teach your dog the rules he needs to live long, happy and safe in your home.

Are some dogs harder to train than others? Absolutely. We will try to let you know what kind of challenge you are in for with your new dog. But if your new dog’s head is made of solid bone and impervious to learning, you can revel in the fact that you are going to be an expert by the time you are through with our classes.

If you walk into dog or puppy ownership with these expectations, you and your new canine family member will have a successful relationship.

Paws to Consider is written by the staff at the East Bay SPCA in Oakland. For more on shelter life, read our blog at http://www.eastbayspca.org/blog. Comments may be sent to info@eastbayspca.org or EBSPCA, 8323 Baldwin St., Oakland, CA 94621.

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